Torture
by Apprentice08
Summary: Slade is hired to torture a prisoner for the Triad He arrives to find his victim is the boy wonder Slade helps Robin escape and begins the difficult task of rehabilitation But how can you help someone who thinks you are the enemy seduce them of course
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, great news! I now have an editor for this piece! We have recently gone back and edited this 1st chapter and will be continuing on through all the posted chapters and onto the very end. I give major props to all the wonderful changes to Scarlett Kingston who has added some much needed improvement. Thus far the plot itself has not changed and no major chunks have been removed or changed either. If you wish to go back and reread all the chapters I would be glad to hear what you think of the improvements and can't wait to continue on with this story as I progress with Scarlett. Please give her major props for all her hard work and the time she has put into this! I will keep you updated if anything in chapters 1-5 change and need to be reread. I plan to allow Scarlett free range on plot bunnies so who knows where this will end up! Can't wait to see, let me know what you think! **

**Chapter 1**

**The Triad**

Slade walked down the ramp of his private jet and admired the beautiful mountains in the distance. China was exquisite this time of year. It was too bad he wasn't here for pleasure. He looked around the small airport until his eyes came to rest on a limo that was five or six yards away.

"I'll be back in a few days Will. Keep the engine hot," Slade said as an after thought. The old servant nodded and headed back into the plane.

The un-masked villain strode towards the limo with confidence and strength in each step. He had to establish his dominance now while he knew they were watching.

Oh yes, they were watching. They had cameras everywhere. Slade had dealt with the Triad before but never had they requested his assistance personally for anything. He had his guns on him as he usually would in this type of situation and he carried with him a briefcase that held his extra ammo and miniature explosives.

Slade adjusted his shoulders, the blazer of his business suit feeling tight and restrictive, decidedly different from his uniform.If anyone had saw him he would look like a regular man…with an eye patch. He reached the limo and rapped his knuckles on the window. The driver side door opened and the driver came around to open the door for him. No words were exchanged as they were not needed.

When the door closed Slade realized he was alone. Normally a lesser member of the Triad would be there to brief him but apparently this briefing was meant for behind closed doors.

The ride to the Triad's haunt lasted close to three hours, at least Slade was able to admire the countryside. His last visit to China had taken him deep into the countryside and he had never managed to come back until now.

After a while longer the windows tinted and Slade was in complete darkness. He waited for a word from the driver to speak but nothing happened.

_Obviously, the Triad does not trust me enough to allow me to see the rest of the way to their haunt. Good, I like a challenge, _he thought smugly.

After another hour, totaling his trip at four hours and twenty-three minutes, Slade was allowed to step from the halted limo and the driver handed Slade a manila envelope. Once again, no words were spoken and once the driver left, Slade set down his case and opened the folder.

Still no one to meet him? This was indeed odd, not just for the Triad but for anyone who would want to hire a person to do their business. It was expected of them to inform the associate they have hired about the job, about dangers that may occur, issues the person might have to deal with. Something seemed a little off about this whole mission but Slade would just have to remain alert.

After looking at the information inside, Slade pulled a lighter from his blazer pocket and set the information aflame. He waited for the burnt pieces to disintegrate before he started his final stretch of the journey.

Slade was beside himself with annoyance, he was being treated like a child during a scavenger hunt. Something as childish and ridiculous as this was tolerable for a second rate mercenary, but for someone like himself, it was not only an insult to his abilities, but also to his sense of honor. He took great lengths to make sure his professionalism in these type of dealings was absolute. His honorability was complete and the Triad were testing the limits of his patience.

Finally, Slade slowed to a stop, looking out over the bluff just beneath him. Slade had felt the dirt caked entry point below his feet the instant he had stepped onto it. It was a waiting game now and though Slade was reaching his limits his curiosity was peaked.After a few seconds, Slade felt a jerk and looked down to see the door beginning to open.

_Interesting,_ Slade thought casually as he was lowered below the Earth's crust. _The platform sloped down steeply and the further he kept walking, the darker it got until he was so far down that the sunlight from the entrance was only a mere glimmer behind him_. Until finally Slade's ride came to a stop and he stood on the floor at the bottom. He looked up to see the light from the hole above and saw a metal panel slide in place.

_Slade was plunged into to darkness yet again, and as he waited, he listened, his eyes closed. No noise came from the surrounding gloom. But after a while, his ears twitched. There was something. Footsteps. And a door opening. Suddenly,_ a light pierced the dark in front of him and someone shone a flashlight in his face.

"_State your name, objective, and employer!" _

"Wilson, Slade. I have been asked to report to the Triad for a mutual business agreement, and I work for myself." Slade said flatly.

The singular light switched off but before Slade's eyes could try to adjust to the darkness again the ceiling lights were brought up to reveal the large space he was in. Slade carefully looked around, taking in the entire space. He had not reacted when he saw the circle of men that surround him, all in suits and sunglasses. They had been as loud as rats on their way in and Slade had smirked at their failed attempt at surprise.

_No wonder they need me..._

Slade felt like he was surrounded by some second-rate FBI agency. He showed no sign of alarm and simply waited for someone to approach him.

_Like obedient dogs, they won't move without their master's hand, but who is the master, I wonder who holds the bone?_

A small man made his way through the circle and came to stand in front of Slade. He had dark brown hair and a rather average face that looked dulled from years of seeing blood shed.

"My sincerest apologies to your honor, Mr. Deathstroke," said the man with a nervous bow. Slade bowed stiffly back. "Our prisoner is one of great importance and we cannot allow him even the smallest opportunity to escape. I am sure you understand." Slade did not answer, merely stared down at the smaller man. "I am to be your escort while you are on base. You may call me Four." Four turned around. "Right this way, Sir."

_And still no big dog, just the little pups, this had better not be a waste of my time. _

Slade followed Four and kept his eyes peeled for anything that might warrant further investigation. He was led from the entrance down a long and rather narrow hall, which was lit from the sides by bright white lights.

_Blinding lights to keep prisoners confused… who ever they have captured must be a larger threat then they let on._

"You've increased your security measures because of one prisoner."

Four turned his face away and Slade could tell he was a little taken aback by Slade's sudden accusation.

There was a pause before Four answered and Slade smirked. "Yes, Sir. Only one person is allowed to leave the compound per day. No one else in or out unless they have an appointment."

"_Who is this talented escape artist?" Slade inquired, his eyebrow raising ever so slightly._

Four's answer was terse and clipped. "I am unable to release that information at this time. I am taking you to someone who can give you the information you require."

Slade didn't like that answer, he wanted more information, it was so much easier to get information out of a man like Four. He was just a monkey, a lap dog for the higher ups. Slade just had to bait the man with the right questions.

"So I assume the heightened security means that the prisoner has given you some trouble?"

"No doubt Sir. He has escaped twice and came close to killing several of the guards."

"Close?" Slade questioned as his head turned slightly with curiosity.

"He is weak. No honor. He strangles them till they pass out or he knocks them unconscious. He never picks up a gun or tries to stab the guards, just makes a run for it."

"Interesting." Slade said, mostly to himself.

There was finally a turn in the corridor and Slade was led towards the right until they reached a room that was on the left. Four unlocked the door and then held it open, he bowed to Slade as he crossed the threshold.

"This will be your room for the duration of your stay. I hope you find the accommodations pleasing. My master will be with you shortly." Slade stepped into the room and began to unpack. If he was lucky this assignment would be over with quickly, it was becoming far too much of a hassle. He took his case and laid it on the bed, all there was left to do now was wait.

**Five days later….**

Slade barged into the meeting room and ignored the looks of shock and awe on the small group of faces.

"Slade… to what do we owe the pleasure of this interruption?" the man at the head of the table asked.

"You have kept me here for five days telling me to wait and be patient, you've given me no information and offered me little else to go off of. If I don't start getting some answers I am going to make my own. And you know I can Brickyard. The reason you hired me is because you know no one can stop me, but so help me if you don't tell me what my mission is I will break all your toes and work my way up to your throat..."

There was silence in the room as the leader considered Slade's words, finally he smiled and nodded, "Actually, that is why I have called you here Mr. Deathstroke. We were mainly waiting for the right _time_ to... bring you into the light. Now that I am aware of how you feel about the situation it shouldn't be a problem. Please have a seat."

Slade eyed the men around the table; every single one of them had been about to shit their pants when he had walked in. All of them except for the grinning man at the head of the table. He didn't feel threatened at all by Slade's words which meant that he was one of the more dangerous men in the compound.

_You keep yourself cool in a tough spot Brickyard, but your ego has produced an inflated sense of security. I will not be as patient as your little lap dogs . . . or as kind. _

If he didn't fear Slade it meant that he thought he had a way of controlling Slade and that was not something Slade would allow. Slowly the giant of a man sat down at the table and waited.

"We have given you minimal information on the off chance you changed your mind and wanted to leave before we came into need of your services Slade. You see the true problem is we are not sure exactly when we will need your special and capable hands. Which is why you've been waiting around for five days."

"What exactly is the job?" Slade asked hoping to finally get an answer.

"We have crucial information that needs to be extracted and we believe that your skills will improve our chances of getting it."

"What kind of information? Files, computer hacking, you need to be a little more specific." Slade asked.

"Information that can't be taken off a hard drive," came the sly voice of Brickyard.

Slade slowly put his elbows on the table, bringing his fingers to a steeple before his lips as he began to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. Before Brickyard could even confirm his suspicions, Slade knew they reason they had waited. Obtaining information of this type was dangerous.

No one ever wanted to get their hands dirty, no one wanted to hold someone else's life in their grasp and listen to the person scream as you ripped their fingernails from their body. Not many people were mentally stable enough to do it the right way.

"You don't want me to assassinate someone, you want me to torture someone." Slade said eyeing the man up and down.

"Yes, therein lies the problem. As of yet we aren't sure that more torture will work."

"More torture?" Slade hid the surprise in his voice well.

"We have had this prisoner for months, we've tried every method we can think of. From many different cultures, many different forms and styles… the only two choices we have are either you or…" Brickyard trailed off and Slade's eye narrowed.

"You will have to enlighten me, Brickyard, contrary to popular belief I cannot read minds."

"Rape." It was a statement, not of just how twisted this man's mind was but of the length he was willing to go to get what he wanted.

"It has been a proven method. It works better on women, it is true… but this particular captive may break under something as… perverse as that, especially with his background."

Slade leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. Slade was just as disturbed as the next twisted individual he would not deny it. He had tortured and killed many people, but Slade_ did_ have some rules and morals and sexual torture was not one of the cards he had ever yet played.

A deafening silence filled the room and Slade could almost hear the restless heartbeats of the men standing around. "There must be another reason why you selected me expressly," said Slade, shattering the silence, "I am the best assassin on the market without question. But my torture skills are almost never exclusively requested. What do you have to gain from me specifically?"

Brickyard smiled an evil smile, peaking Slades curiosity as he eyed him. "Perhaps you should follow me."

The man stood and Slade followed his example. The rest of the men at the table remained seated, secretly glad that _they _did not have to show the mercenary about the base. Slade followed Brickyard out of the room and down a narrow hall.

"In here." Brickyard motioned to the open door, taking Slade into a room. It was dark inside the room. _Do these people ever use lights? _he thought. Slade once again crossed his arms over his chest and looked to the only thing in the room. A two way mirror. On the other side was darkness until, that is, Brickyard flipped a switch.

Slade looked into the room and his eyebrow went up almost infinitesimally. He revealed no emotion as the whisper escaped his lips. "_Robin_."

The boy that was tied to the chair in the opposite room wasn't even a shadow of the boy wonder. But Slade could tell, the hair, the body, and the posture. The torn bloody uniform, the determined masked face; it was Robin.

"You see you have history with this particular prisoner. And from our examination of the tower he was, for a time, rather obsessed with you. We have also learned he was once your apprentice. We monitor him while he sleeps. He dreams of you Slade. He wakes up screaming for mercy, he screams about his friends. You must have really traumatized the boy," he smirked. "We think that if your mere presence doesn't unnerve him into talking then the threat of you being left alone with him will. Two million dollars and all you have to do is play along, and if seeing you isn't incentive enough then you get to slice up an old friend."

The whole time Brickyard had been talking, Slade had not removed his eye from the boy who had weakly raised his head and was looking around. Obviously, they left him in the dark whenever they were not torturing him.

"Tell me Brickyard. What information could the boy have that would warrant such a lengthy and cruel investigation?" asked Slade as he turned to face the man.

" That information is strictly classified. We will inform you if we deem it necessary." He paused to look at Slade. "Well, do you accept or not?" Brickyard asked.

Slade turned back to watch Robin. The boy screamed something he could not hear, but from the anger and pain that lined Robin's face, he knew it was threats that sprouted from the boy's lips not pleas for mercy. In that moment, seeing the boy's spirit, Slade knew what had to be done.

"Yes. I accept."

"Good, I believe it is time for you to pay bird boy a little visit."

**PageBreak**

After the lights had turned on, Robin began to struggle at his bonds. When they wouldn't give, he resorted to screaming and shouting. Even if he couldn't see the Triad, he was sure they could hear him. "Hey! Come in here you bastards! Don't keep me waiting!"

Suddenly the lone door in the room opened and the executive officer walked in. "Hey Junkyard how are you today?" Robin asked in a weak but venomous tone.

"My dear boy, when are you going to understand the concept of not biting the hand that feeds you?"

"You don't feed me, you bastard." Robin growled. "I've been eating my own head in here." Robin's body swayed from side to side.

"I must admit Robin you lasted a lot longer than I thought. Months in fact."

Robin's eyes opened in shock. "Months?"

"Oh yes… hard to believe we've been able to hold you here for six months. Honestly, I'm amazed you haven't gone crazy. Being tortured for a lengthy amount of time usually has that effect on people."

"I told you from the beginning, I _won't _break! You will _never _get the information you want!" Robin glared up at him, spitting at the man's feet, though the effort was pointless. Robin had almost no saliva left.

Brickyard merely looked down at the small speck of liquid on the ground. He grunted, unimpressed, and looked back at the boy.

"You see Robin, with an attitude like that you have left me no choice but to bring in a specialist."

"Hope he isn't like the last specialist," Robin retorted, "That man's nose is still broken from what I heard."

"This specialist won't have any such problems. If anything you will be the one with broken bones." Brickyard stepped aside and Robin could see the shadows beginning to shift beyond the door. His masked eyes widened as a very familiar silhouette stepped through the doorway.

"I believe you two have met once or twice?" Brickyard said in a sickly sweet tone.

Robin couldn't bring himself to say anything, his entire insides frozen from terror, he couldn't blink. His mind went blank, his heart stopped and he felt every muscle in his body tense.

"Hello, Robin." said Slade calmly, looking at the boy through his mask.

"Speechless are you… not a single word? Not a smartass comment, or even a jibe." Brickyard almost seemed gleeful about Robin's new predicament. "You really _must _not like each other." He looked back and forth between the two warriors, but neither showed any sign of willingness to talk. "Slade said he would be more than glad to loosen that tongue of yours. Starting tomorrow Slade is your new extractor."

Slade didn't say anything and Robin just stared at him like a deer in the headlights. He was beyond shocked that they knew enough about himself to be able to pull Slade into this. Somehow they had figured out that he and Slade had a history… Then it clicked.

"You've been in the tower!" Robin suddenly yelled at Brickyard.

"Clever boy how did you know? It wasn't as easy to get in as we thought but after making a few modifications to your system that precious Tower of yours ended up fighting our battle for us."

"What did you do!" Robin exclaimed at him, panic beginning to bleed through in every word he spoke.

Brickyard smiled. What a joyful feeling it was to be able to finally get under this brat's skin.

"I am sure you won't believe me when I say it. In fact, you will probably hold on to the belief that I'm lying until you see their dead mangled bodies for yourself, but I guess I can tell you anyway." He paused a moment before speaking, but when he did it was full of mockery and twisted delight. "Your pathetic little family is dead... The tower is destroyed and of course… the Batman has been MIA since Paris. Resisting us isn't doing you any good or buying you anytime because as far as the world is concerned you blew up with your precious tower. You are once again all alone, no family, no friends… everyone you've ever loved is dead. And just like last time it was all your fault." Brickyard turned and walked out of the room without waiting to see what Robin had to say.

Slade stood to the side and watched the boy's reaction. Robin looked up at the retreating Brickyard, "You sick son of a _bitch_, I am going to fucking kill you! Do you hear me! I am going to slice you open and let the seagulls eat out your entrails!"

"You can try Robin. But I highly doubt you will be leaving this compound alive." Brickyard called from the hall as he started to laugh.

"Just watch me," Robin muttered.

His head sank down, he didn't even bother to look at Slade. The man was about to turn and leave when he heard Robin sigh with a new sense of awareness. "I won't break Slade. You can try… but no matter what has happened in our past. I won't break." Slade stood in the doorway a moment but didn't look back. After a collected silence, Slade continued out the door.

**Pagebreak**

Early the next morning Slade readied himself; he had been planning what he was going to do and how this was all going to work out. He wasn't sure if there was much he could do at this point.

Robin had been beaten within an inch of his life, the fact the boy was still alive was impressive.

Slade had talked to Brickyard after having left Robin alone in that room and managed to convince the man to give him a one on one session with Robin without being watched, just to get his point across to the kid that he wasn't joking around.

Slade grabbed his supplies and headed for the room. It didn't take him long to locate the right door and he entered into darkness. The lights flickered on and he stopped in his tracks. The chair lay shattered on the floor, the ropes having looked like they'd been chewed through.

Slade knelt down and set his equipment to the side. Picking up the rope, he looked at the chewed and gnarled bits. There was blood on the rope right where it had been shredded. A noise came from the corner and Slade looked to see two or three rats scurrying around.

"Clever." A smirk spread across his lips.

The shriek of an alarm cut through Slades thoughts, and in an instant he had left the room. He needed to find Robin before …

"Shoot him!" came a cry from down the hall and around the corner.

Slade picked up speed and as he rounded the hall he felt his body jerk to a halt, his usually calm heart rate was slightly elevated as he drank in the scene before him.

Five men held their guns at the ready, and would've already shot Robin had Brickyard not been an idiot and gotten himself caught by the angry bird. Slade could see the boy wonder holding a sharp razor against Brickyard's carotid, moving it dangerously back and forth.

"Do. Not. Move. Junk heap or I will rip out your throat," Robin hissed into the man's ear.

"How did you escape!" Brickyard grunted, wincing at the blade nicked his fine skin.

"I had some help from some friends. They have a particular fondness for blood."

"You really have lost it kid." said Brickyard, smiling ever-so-slightly before grimacing as the blade began to bite into the flesh of his neck.

"If I have then you pushed me to it," Robin said through gritted teeth.

"What are you going to do kid? Kill me? You don't have the guts to do it."

"I don't have much of anything thanks to you. You took away everything… if I really have been here six months then I have also lost six months of my life to sitting in a chair, being beaten. I figure I owe you at least one sliced throat to pay you back for all the _favors_ you've done for me."

"Talk all you want but you don't have the gu-…" Robin slid the knife quickly across Brickyards throat and blood exploded from the man's esophagus, pouring down his body and onto the floor, staining his white shirt red. Slade was a hard man to shock but this was more than unexpected. This was stunning, beautiful; it was the loveliest thing he'd ever seen.

Robin, the boy wonder, had just slit the throat of one of the highest chairs of the Triad. The boy closed his eyes and simply released Brickyard, who slid the rest of the way to the ground, and just stood there. No one fired, no one spoke, no one breathed. They were all too shocked to believe what had just taken place. Then Robin opened his eyes. There was a sudden cacophony of noise as the men fired their weapons and Robin jumped like never before. He snapped all their necks and in mere seconds the men were on the ground.

The boy, still allowing the adrenaline, shock, fear and trauma to control him, dropped to the ground, picked up a gun and started aimlessly firing on the already dead men. He let out a scream as he did and when the gun was empty, he turned and jumped onto Brickyard and started beating his dead face.

Slade stood and watched allowing the boy's anger and aggression to seep from him like sweat. When he had finally exhausted himself he tossed the gun to the side and slowly stood on shaky legs.

He looked at his bloody hands and then at the men lying around him. All dead, their lifeless eyes staring at him. Robin couldn't believe what he had just done… but he wanted out. He had to… it was them or him. He still had a lot of work to do… a lot of people to save. He had to assume the Titans were dead, but that didn't mean had to leave their death's unavenged.

It came suddenly then and it sent a shiver up Slade's spin though the man would never admit it. Robin started to laugh, softly at first but it eventually grew and soon he was laughing so hard he fell to his knees. He crawled to the nearest man and took his gun.

The boy stared at it and just as suddenly as the laughing had started it had died and he quickly turned the gun on Slade.

"Sorry you had to see that Slade."

"The pleasure was all mine." replied Slade as calmly as ever.

"Well I am glad you enjoyed the show… now… I _am _going to leave and you aren't going to stop me. If you try, I swear to God I will rip you open and leave you for the rats." Robin reached up and ripped off his mask leaving raw skin behind. Brilliant blue eyes greeted him and Slade saw in them the insanity that had consumed Robin.

Six months of torture had worn the boy thin. He needed help, quickly.

"Robin… before you do anything too rash… I suggest that you allow me to help you sort out your current emotional state."

"I don't _need _or _want _your help. I know how my emotional state is. I have fucking lost it! I need to escape this place! I need-..."

"Robin I don't know if you are aware of your current location, but at the moment you are in the middle of nowheresville China."

Robin stared at him in shock, "You are lying!" he shouted.

"I'm not… it took me four and a half hours to get here from the only airport within two hundred and twenty miles of this base. If you run out of here, in your condition, you would die in less than twenty-four hours. However, I have a plane."

Instantly Robin's sagging body went rigid again, "Take me to it! Now!"

"Only if you put down the gun."

Robin's hand started to shake. "We have a lot to talk about Robin," continued Slade in a coaxing tone, "but I can't do that if you have a gun pointed at my head."

"I just want to go home," Robin said as tears began to trickle and then pour from his eyes, "I never told them what they wanted to know. I deserve to go home." His voice shook and he sounded like a child but Slade had to admire the fact that Robin had made it this far.

"You do Robin. You deserve more than anyone to go home and rest. Don't you want to rest? I can get you out of here but you have to trust me."

"Trust you? I can't trust you! You were about to come into that room and torture me!"

"I was going to help you escape Robin. Only you beat me to it."

"Glad I did. That proves I don't need your help."

"To get out of this country you do," Slade said bluntly, "but we must leave now."

Robin growled in frustration. As much has he hated to admit it, Slade was right. He couldn't make it out alive by himself.

Robin was about to say something when he felt a slight pain in his neck as a dart sunk into his flesh. He tried to turn and fire at who ever had just injected him but before he could he was on the ground laying lifeless among the dead bodies.

Slade instantly acted, lunging forward to pick up the boy and throw him over his shoulder. "Hey! You! Bring the prisoner to us!" called the guard who had fired the dart at Robin.

Upon turning to look down the hall, Slade saw eight guards all with dart guns… "Fun." Slade said slowly. A grin started to spread across his lips as he began to walk towards the guards. He would have to calculate this just right to make sure that he didn't get hit with a dart.

"Okay boys…. Let's play."

**Pagebreak**

Slade burst through the door that lead into the garage, leaving the guards from the hallway dead behind him. He look around where the limos were stored. There had to be something smaller than a damn limo. The solution presented itself as Slade saw a small object covered by a sheet. He quickly crossed to it and pulled the sheet away.

As if sent by God, a very fine motorcycle, one that could probably jump from zero to one hundred and eighty in five seconds, greeted Slade. Slade got on and his smirk widened when he saw that some idiot had left the key in the ignition.

Obviously, no escapee had ever gotten this far. Slade was glad to be the first. He started the bike and pressed the only button labeled '_Front Access_'. A door started to open and Slade squealed his tires as guards burst into the room. Slade saluted and shot out of the garage and into the forest.

**Page Break**

Robin was vaguely aware of his situation as wind crashed into his face and across his body. He wasn't in the compound anymore, but it was obvious he wasn't the one doing all the moving and shuffling.

Suddenly it was like he was flying, he wished he could open his eyes, and then a jolt racked his body as what ever he was on came back into contact with the ground. Robin wished it were a horse. How cool would that be to wake up riding on a horse like in the old west… _FOCUS!_ Robin's mind screamed.

It had become his personal pastime in the last six months to imagine what would be really cool. It was one of the ways he had coped with the torture. They would break his jaw and Robin would think it would be awesome if instead of breaking his jaw they gave him a jawbreaker.

At some point he couldn't feel the pain they were inflicting on him because his mind was in overdrive trying to imagine what would be better than where he was. Everything they did to him tickled or felt like soft kisses or made him laugh.

At one point they were wiping him and Robin had imagined it was Starfire sensually rubbing his back down with oils.

Robin managed a moan and he felt a hand tilt his head back. He just barely opened an eye and saw that damn mask staring down at him.

"S-Slade?" Robin asked.

"Rest Robin… we are almost free!" called Slade over the loud roar of a motor.

Robin knew where he was; he was cradled in front of Slade on a motorcycle. How he didn't fall from the bike, Robin wasn't sure. But if the man was getting him out of that hell-hole, Robin wasn't going to try and fight. It didn't take long for his eyes to close and Robin sank back into darkness.

**A/N: Fantastic improvement isn't it? Keep reading to see more fantastical edits and updates!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Runways and panic attacks

Slade ripped Robin from the bike and dashed like a deer across the airport.

He saw the plane and saw Wintergreen already heading up the ramp at a brisk pace. Slade reached the ramp in moments and hit the button to lift the door closed. Slade instantly placed Robin in a chair; his beaten body slouched like a dead thing that had been gutted.

Slade found a medical kit and quickly injected Robin with a sedative. Slade then turned and ran to the cockpit.

He slammed the door open, "For God's sake Will! When I say keep the engine hot I mean for you to keep it bloody HOT!" Slade sat down in the second pilot chair and started to help Will get the plane going.

"You were gone four days longer then planed, I didn't want to take the chance of running out of gas and not being able to get anymore."

"You are at an airport… gas shouldn't be a problem."

"I am at the Triad's air port…" Will said.

Slade looked at him and suddenly understood, he nodded his head once and then continued what he was doing.

"What's with the boy?" Will asked as the engines started to thump to life.

"It's Robin." Slade said, and that was all that he needed to be told.

Slade suddenly saw about two dozen men burst fourth from one of the gates and Slade didn't care If the engines weren't ready he started to move the plane.

"Slade! What are you doing!" Will protested.

"If I don't move this plane in the next twenty seconds all those sword wielding psychos are going to get onto this plane, stab you through the heart, decapitate me and take Robin for another six months and torture him to death so will you PLEASE JUST SHUT UP!" Slade said. Obviously he was not himself because that was not his usual tone or word choice.

"Shut up? That's one I haven't heard in a long time." Wintergreen muttered as he sighed and started to help Slade steer the plane.

It was going to be close; they were already half way down the runway. But Slade had faith in his jet; he paid enough damn money for it. And with all the modifications he made it just had to make it.

"Slade…"

"Wait for it." Slade said as his finger hovered over the turbo button.

"Slade!" Wintergreen yelled.

Slade pressed the turbo a little harder then needed; they were both shoved back into their seats as the extra boost pushed the jet down the runway.

"Twenty-five feet!" Wintergreen yelled as Slade saw the end of the runway approaching.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Slade yelled as he suddenly yanked the controls back, the jet lurched up from the strip, Slade's eye narrowed as Wintergreen's fingers dug into his control stick.

They just barely cleared the fence and started to climb into the sky.

Wintergreen's heart was in his throat and despite the fact that Slade seemed calm Wintergreen could feel his intense emotions as the man tried to calm himself.

"I will be in the back… call if you need anything." As Slade stood he placed his hands on Wintergreen's shoulder, "Thank you old friend."

Wintergreen nodded but said nothing as Slade left the cockpit.

The man approached Robin's still form and picked him up, he took him to the far back of the jet where a small door opened into an equally small bedroom. Slade laid the boy down and started to remove what was left of his shredded uniform.

Six months, Slade couldn't believe it. He looked the boy over and couldn't understand how Robin had made it that long. Slade knew how cruel the Triad could be. The boy was going to be severely traumatized.

Slade reached into his utility belt and pulled out a small blue vial. It had been meant for Slade's self, had Slade been seriously injured the liquid in the vial would speed up his healing abilities and he would be on his way quicker then usual.

The man only hoped that this would work on Robin who had no healing abilities. He grabbed a syringe and injected the liquid into Robin and waited. After a few seconds Robin's injuries started to heal and Slade breathed a sigh of relief. As the boy started his slow road to recovery Slade stood and retrieved from a small cabinet a washrag and a small basin of water. It took about thirty minutes but Slade had managed to clean most of the blood, dirt, and piss off of Robin. The water in the basin had turned a brownish red long ago and now Slade poured that water down a small sink.

He turned and leaned against the wall of the cabin. He stared at the small boy before him. Robin was not a child, and any ounce of child like qualities that he had still been able to cling to would be gone now. Erased by the cruelty of men who wanted information that Robin had chosen to take to his grave.

Suddenly the boy's body started to convulse and Slade stood for a moment trying to figure out what was wrong.

"No!" Robin murmured.

"STOP! PLEASE!" He started to shout. In that instant Robin's eyes opened and Slade kicked himself. The healing serum had pushed the sedative from his body. Robin looked around at the small room and then his eyes locked onto Slade.

Robin didn't say a word; he simply shoved himself into the furthest corner away from Slade. Robin's eyes were wide as saucers and his breathing was heavy, his chest heaved as Robin tried to grasp the situation.

"Robin… calm down… listen to me. You aren't with the Triad right now. You are on my jet with me on the way back to California."

Robin just stared at Slade with that fearful expression that an animal has as headlights rush towards it.

"I need you to calm down." Slade said.

All of Robin's muscles were thick as bricks from being tensed. "You are healed now so you can attack me if you want to but it won't do you any good. You're still physically exhausted. Just come back onto the bed and lay down." Slade said keeping his voice low, slow and coaxing.

Robin didn't move or speak, he was in some kind of shock, Slade started to slowly approach him, keeping his hand outstretched in a keep calm position. Robin tried to shove further into the wall. His mind was trying to comprehend too much, whether this was a dream or reality, whether Slade was a friend or foe, whether he should try to escape or do as Slade commanded.

Slade suddenly had an idea, "Robin… look at me." The boy's head snapped back to him and Slade slowly removed his mask. The boy watched him with curiosity. Slade then started to remove all his armor and his utility belt. Robin seemed to be visibly relaxing. What his mind was doing however was completely beyond Slade.

Slade then slowly sat on the bed and motioned for Robin to come over, the boy did so but very slowly. He moved almost like a cat, with soft even motions on his hands and knees. He was deciding if he wanted to approach Slade and give him the time of day. But soon enough Robin was on the bed next to him staring at the man's face.

Robin reached up and touched the man's skin; he caressed Slade's goatee and ran his fingers through the man's snow-white hair. He turned Slade's face to look at him and the man was unsure what was going on. Robin's big blue eyes stared into Slade's lone grey one.

In that instant Robin moved towards Slade and kissed him passionately. Slade immediately but gently took hold of the boy's shoulders and moved him away.

"I am sorry… I am confused…. I thought you were…. My mind was playing tricks on me." Robin said allowing his face to fall into his hands.

Slade nodded but kept his distance at about two feet. He didn't want to crowd the boy.

"You need to rest. I want you to lay down and relax and as soon as we land in California I will…."

Slade was cut off from finishing his sentence because Robin instantly started to sob, and not just soft little personal sobs of self-loathing these sobs racked his body and shook him to his core.

"What is going on! I killed six men… I k-killed SIX MEN!" Robin suddenly screamed standing up. He threw himself against a wall and slid down and then started slamming his head against the wall.

The sobbing increased but Slade had been fast enough to cross to Robin and take hold of the flailing boy. "No! Let me go! I deserve this! I need this!" Robin said trying to bang his head against the wall.

Slade gave one mighty yank and the boy was against his chest trying to escape the man's grasp. "BRUCE!" Robin screamed.

"HELP ME! HELP ME! SOMEONE HELP ME!" His voice was not just yelling or producing sobbish wails. He was shrieking, the voice that escaped his tangled mess of vocal chords sounded like someone who wanted very much to die.

His brain was in over load, he had been tortured mercilessly for six months, and then in one day Robin got a hell of a shock with seeing Slade again and then killing six men. Not to mention the news that all his friends were dead and that Batman was STILL missing. What Brickyard had meant by that statement Slade wasn't sure.

"Slade please just kill me." Robin said slightly softer. "Just make this all end… I can't be here anymore. I can't be strong enough." Robin's head lulled lazily against the man's chest from side to side. Robin's fingers dug into the man's thighs as his body twitched.

"Please Slade… Please let me die. I don't have the strength to live anymore." Robin's eyes were sliding closed, a small amount of blood was leaking from the corner of his mouth, and in an instant the boy had lost consciousness.

Robin's body was so exhausted that that last little bout with the wall and sucked the last of the boy's remaining energy. But just to be on the safe side Slade pulled from his utility belt another dose of sedative. He laid Robin down on the bed and pulled the covers over him.

"And now Robin… I will be strong enough for the both of us." Slade turned and left the room.

OOOOO

Slade, Wintergreen, and Robin had been back in California for a few hours. And while Wintergreen carried Robin to the only guest room they had, Slade went and looked up all the information he had missed.

Before the Triad incident Slade had been on an assassination in Brazil. He had been gone for months. Apparently just long enough for Robin to get captured, the Titans to be killed and Batman to go missing.

All the recent news clippings said the same thing; the Titans were no more. An epic battle had ensued inside the tower and though no official video of the fight was released the Titans never came out. A group calling themselves the Triad had told the city that the Titans had been planning a take over of the city and that they had come to stop it from happening. Little other information was given and though the citizens found it hard to believe that the Titans would ever do such a thing apparently the Triad's story was impossible to disprove.

Slade had looked into Gotham's news too and found that Batman had been missing longer then Robin.

"You go away for a few months and everything goes to Hell." Slade said mostly to himself. He had felt Wintergreen enter the room but did not turn to look at him.

"Slade… we need to talk."

"Yes I know." Slade looked away from the screen and gave Wintergreen his full attention.

"That boy is not your responsibility, I honestly have no clue why you saved him. Though I don't condemn you for playing the hero this could give us a lot of un wanted attention from a certain group of Chinese Mafia."

"We already had unwanted attention, my taking the boy will have little effect. Robin murdered one of the heads of table. The Triad will come for Robin… and most likely myself. However, they will hold no grudge against you so I am ordering you to take a vacation."

Wintergreen went to say something but stopped, "What?"

"You heard me…. Take a few months leave… a year if you have to. I don't want you put in harms way because I jumped into yet another battle that has nothing to do with me. Go, relax and if I absolutely need you I will call." Slade turned back to his research and looked up something from about three weeks ago.

Slade felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned to look at the older much shorter man. "I will not abandon you… for you did not abandon me."

Slade stared down at the man through the one eyehole he had, he sighed and slowly took off his mask.

"Old friend, you have always done what I have asked of you, even the most menial things like bringing me tea. I have asked you time and again for help, for advice, for guidance. I cannot ask you to put your life on the line this time. Not when I can protect it by doing the right thing and send you away."

Wintergreen smirked, "Hard to believe you care about anyone but yourself."

"Hard to imagine how I ever could care about myself." Slade chuckled.

"I will go because I can tell you want me out of the way. But if you need anything of me you will call right?"

"You will be the first one I call to my aid." Slade assured Wintergreen, the old man nodded and turned to go, "I'd go check on the boy soon Slade. If all you have told me is true he is going to need guidance and patients. Never lose your patients with him or that will push him away from you. And remember Slade. He is still a boy." Wintergreen disappeared out the doors and Slade sighed.

"This is not how I wanted to spend my vacation." Slade said, he was cut off mid thought by his wrist alarm going off. Slade turned and ran towards the bedroom.

OOOO

Where was he? Who had hold of him now? Was he going to be tortured? Wait how did he get healed? Could the Triad heal him? Did they have the ability to pull him back from death and start the torture a new the next day?

Robin pushed against the walls; he climbed onto the desk and pushed against the ceiling. He sank to the floor and tried to dig. "Let me out! Let me out!" Robin chanted over and over again.

The room wasn't unattractive but it was dark and small and Robin wasn't okay with this. He looked up to see a door; he braced himself against the floor and in an instant had launched his body at a full sprint at the door.

However, before Robin's shoulder could connect with it's target the door slid open and Robin ran right into someone who flew back and smashed into the wall. Robin tumbled with the large body but didn't let it stop him. He let out a warrior like cry and pulled his body out from under the weight of his captor.

He sprinted down the hall and took a sharp left not bothering to look back; he was going to be free. Robin ran through a large pair of doors that slid open. He was instantly brought to a stop.

"That noise." He whispered as he looked through out the dark room. Gears turning, steam hissing from pipes, a rhythmic chant, crank crank crank HISS, crank crank crank HISS.

"No…." Robin said looking into the gloom seeing screens all around him. He was with Slade? Had Slade captured him again? Was he to be the man's apprentice… murder more people?

Oh God… he had murdered six men! What would Bruce do? What would he say? How could Robin have let this happen?

"You seem a bit out of sorts Robin. Letting your fear guide you on a quest for freedom. You've already won your freedom, at the price of six lives. Or don't you remember."

Robin spun around, his chest rising and falling like that of a wild animal, his eyes lacking the focus required to target his enemy in the dark.

"Slade! What is going on! Don't try to hide from me… I will find you! And when I do I will…"

"Will what? Kill me?"

Robin instantly grew cold, he felt sick, "No… I would never…"

"Never what? Kill anyone. You killed six men not even 24 hours ago. I have a feeling now that you have opened the door you will be a lot more open to the idea."

"Where are you!" Robin screamed looking around in the darkness.

"Your frustration and fear are making you unfocused and quick to react. But tell me… if you were blindfolded… would you still jump head first with out asking the right questions. I wouldn't, only a fool runs blindly into battle. Calm yourself, allow your mind a chance to catch up with itself. I have no desire to attack, so take all the time you need."

Robin knew Slade was right and at the moment he had no aspiration to attack or fight. His mind was twisted and confused and he couldn't seem to remember what had happened and in what order.

The boy took a deep breath to help steady his heart and then bent down onto his knees. He placed his hands palm down on his thighs and closed his eyes despite the warning bells going off in his brain.

"That's it, breath easy, try to remember everything that has happened over the last six months. Know that I am not your enemy." Came Slade's soothing voice.

Robin tried to focus his now unstable mind and tried to remember how that last few months had unfolded.

"Tell me Robin what has all happened in my absence?" Slade demanded in a calm tone.

Robin thought hard and then started to speak, "It started about three weeks after the brotherhood was taken down… just after the Titans returned from Tokyo."

"So about eight months ago?" Slade asked.

Robin waited a moment and then nodded, "Yes… my team and I were eating… or playing games… we were doing something together… and then…Batman came on the screen. He needed to talk to me privately."

"Go on." Slade said in an encouraging tone.

"He said a group called the Triad had been causing some trouble in Gotham and he wanted Batgirl and I to come help him with a secret mission to penetrate their hideout."

Slade said nothing because Robin seemed to be in his own little world now, he didn't even seem to be aware of when Slade talked, it was like he was watching a movie reel inside his own mind. The past few months imprinted there like a scar.

"I left Cyborg in charge of the team and… left. Why did I leave…"

"Stay focused Robin." Slade said hoping Robin heard him.

"Yes… focus… I joined Batgirl and Batman on the mission and we went to China…it took weeks but Batgirl and I were inducted into the Triad as young bloods. New members."

"How did you get in… the Triad only accepts Chinese blood into their circle." Slade asked.

"We used a theater technique to disguise ourselves, it uses prosthetics. We were in for a about a month when we figured out what was going on… the Triad had gotten a hold on some ancient scrolls… dark magic… I saw it first hand… it worked! They could summon things… creatures, demons, horrible beasts from the darkness… things that could hurt a lot of people… destroy the world."

"Ancient scrolls? Hmmm." Slade was suddenly taken back to his first run in with Robin… when he had called upon those two idiot God's Thunder and Lightning. That had been dark magic. Perhaps this magic was along the same….

"We stole the scrolls!" Robin yelled pulling Slade from his thoughts, "Batgirl and I stole them and hid them. We went back to tell Batman, we waited for him… but he never showed up… he has been missing ever since."

Slade spoke then with curiosity, "How did the Triad capture you?"

"Batgirl went off to try and find Batman… I wanted to stay and wait. We separated… the Triad had managed to follow us… they chased me for a month. I always managed to escape… but I don't know where Batgirl is… if she escaped. Oh God what if the Triad had her in China… what if I left her there!"

"Focus Robin!" Slade yelled knowing this was going to be the most important information.

"Yes… focus! They captured me after a month of running, I couldn't make it back to my team… every time I tried they cut me off… they were trying to tire me out… to make me to exhausted to escape. It worked… they took me to China… asked for the location of the scrolls."

"And you refused." Slade finished for him.

"I did, they warned me that I would regret it. They warned me what they were going to do to me if I refused. But I didn't tell them. I won in the end."

"You did win… your will was stronger then theirs." Slade said with approval.

Robin opened his eyes and looked in the direction of Slade, "Found you." Robin said. Slade stepped from the shadows and smirked, "You did."

Robin stood, he looked at Slade. "I know how the rest of the story goes… you came expecting to be sent on some kind of mission I take it?" Slade nodded and Robin sighed, "Thank you for saving me. I should have been able to get out of there on my own… but…"

"The only way to get out of there alive would have been to kill who ever got in your way…. And you couldn't do that until…"

"Until I saw you. Once I knew that you were involved I knew things were going to get far worse then they had been since I was captured. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep it a secret from you. You know me to well, my weaknesses, how to get into my head. I hate to admit it but I wouldn't have been able to hold my own against you. The only way to keep the secret from them would be to escape and the only way to escape was to kill them."

"It didn't make you weak it proved you were stronger. You did what you had to do and there was no way around it. You would have died there. Though I had had no intention of actually torturing you. I was going to help you escape but you beat me to it. When I heard the guards yelling I ran from your holding cell to try and help you… but by the time I had found where you were in that maze of halls you had already decided it was kill or be killed."

Robin shook his head, "I know there had to be a way out of there with out having to kill them… but I was so messed up. I wasn't thinking properly."

Slade approached Robin slowly and placed his hand on the boy's shoulder, Robin flinched a moment but then regained his composure. "Don't be so sure that your head is back where it belongs. You currently feel well because you have control over your emotions. But I wouldn't doubt the idea of you have some form of PTS. Only time will tell if you will be able to function like you used to."

Robin digested this little bit of information and eventually came to the conclusion that Slade was right. Robin felt all right at that moment, but that was probably because in a very screwed up sense he felt safe. If he was out in the line of fire, or forced into a strange situation or even left in an enclosed space alone he wasn't sure how well he would do.

"What exactly happened to my team while I was… away?" Robin asked.

Slade sighed, "Perhaps that can wait until you sleep some more and get some food in your stomach. Honestly I am surprised you can even walk let alone kill anyone with how malnourished you are. How do you feel physically? Weak, exhausted?"

Robin thought about it a moment, "I am really hungry, but aside from that I feel fine. How did you manage to heal me so fast?"

"I have a special serum that speeds up the bodies natural healing process. I gave it to you on the plane ride back here…." Slade stopped as he noticed Robin stiffen.

"Uh… the plane ride…. Did I do anything… odd?"

Slade knew where this was going and he wanted to get it out of the way quickly, "If you are referring to the kiss then yes… everything else was natural considering where you had just been. Who exactly did you think I was when you did that anyway?" Slade asked.

Robin shook his head and then shivered, "I thought… I don't know what I was thinking. You looked like you… but the emotions I felt I would have normally associated with someone like Starfire… perhaps it was because you rescued me and I couldn't quite separate the idea of rescue from my other more… intimate emotions."

"That could be it… let us just forget it ever happened. No harm no foul…deal?"

"Yes…." Robin said feeling his lips with his fingers, "Deal."

"Okay… tomorrow when you wake up we will get you food, have you do a few exercises to make sure your body is still in good shape and then we can review the data I managed to piece together from the Tower."

Robin almost didn't hear Slade as he was to busy in thought, but he managed a mumbled acknowledgement went Slade cleared his throat.

"Huh? Oh yeah… that's fine… but I have a uh… I have a question. More like a request actually."

Slade eyed him with a small amount of surprise, "Yes?"

"Where are you sleeping?"

"I don't plan to sleep tonight… I have a lot of work to do."

"Uh… okay… where are you working?"

"Probably in my personal chambers…. Why?"

Robin sighed and rubbed his eyes, "I was wondering…. Could you tell me… uh… where…. I mean… in case I need anything?"

Slade thought a moment, the boy had already seen his face, seeing Slade's bedroom wasn't going to cause to much more damage.

"I suppose that would be fine. Follow me."

Robin sighed with relief and followed his arch-nemesis down the hall.

PAGEBREAK

Robin lay away in his room and tried to get over the feeling of being trapped_. It will pass with time. _He kept telling himself over and over again. He was a hero, someone that evil doers feared, he wasn't a little child. Torture was nothing compared to some of the things he had been through. And he felt fine, he felt better then ever. Slade's serum had healed all his injuries. He didn't even feel like he had been tortured, yes he could sleep tonight for the first time in months and he would allow this peaceful night rest to be the first of many.

Slade heard an ear splitting scream about four hours after Robin and he had parted ways. Honestly Slade had expected to hear it a lot sooner, but at least he had gotten most of his work done. Slade moved quickly from his room and down the hall. He was ready for just about anything, even for Robin to burst through the door and tackle him again.

The door slid open and Slade was shocked to fined Robin not in his bed thrashing or pounding on the walls with his fists but shaking like a leaf in the corner. Legs pulled up to his chest arms wrapped tightly around them. His head had been resting on his knees but he looked up when Slade entered.

"Robin, are you alright?" Slade asked eyeing the boy's quivering body with interest.

Robin's eyes looked sadly up at the man, tears at the corners and his lips shook almost worse then his body. He was breathing heavy but it appeared like he had been working on controlling it, "J-just a bad dream. I'll b-be fine. Just need to c-calm myself." Robin said.

Slade could tell that Robin was trying his best to sort out his inner demons on his own with out bothering Slade. But Slade had been in Robin's shoes before; he had been in plenty of wars and knew just what torture could do to the mind. Robin was trying to be strong again; he was trying to take control of the situation he was in. But he didn't understand that the harder he struggled to suppress his fears and pain the worse the dreams would get.

"Robin, I think you should sleep in my room tonight. You aren't ready to sleep alone yet."

"W-what?" Robin asked sounding shocked.

"I understand this is hard for you, you've been through a traumatic experience and you want to be able to be strong like you normally do. But trust me when I tell you that after an incident like this you shouldn't be left alone. At least not for a while, you will have bad dreams for a long time. But at least if I am in the room I can wake you up sooner."

Robin thought about it and sighed, he wasn't going to get much sleep no matter what room he slept in but it would be more comforting to have someone in the space he was resting in. Even if it was Slade and the fact that Robin had so easily trusted Slade was probably a bad thing. But at the moment Slade was all Robin had because with out Slade Robin was alone.

"Okay." Robin said reluctantly.

He got up and grabbed his pillow and blanket and followed Slade down the hall at a rather slow pace.

Robin couldn't help but see his eight-year-old self in the first months he had come to stay with Bruce. He had trudged with fear down the long maze of halls till he had come to the man's room. He knocked and waited and twisted his blanket nervously, his anxiety building the longer he waited for this strange man he was now living with to open his door.

When Bruce finally did open it he seemed shocked, "Richard… are you all right?"

"I had a bad dream." He had said in a rather scared and pathetic tone.

Bruce had awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, unsure of what to do, how to offer him comfort. Bruce eyed the pillow and blanket that Richard had brought down and realized what the boy had been hoping for.

Bruce gave a weak smile and sighed, "You want to sleep with me tonight?"

Robin recalled how slowly he had nodded, unsure of how the man would react. Bruce opened his door wider and allowed Robin to walk passed him. They had shared his bed and surprisingly it hadn't been as uncomfortable as either had expected.

Robin sighed now, thinking of how long ago that had been. What was the chance that he would ever see Bruce again? And if he did what were the chanced the man would let Robin sleep in his bed. The chances were slim, at best. Robin was eighteen now, he was considered a legal adult. Bruce and him sharing a bed would be more then just awkward, it would be social unacceptable. And yet here Robin was about to sleep in Slade's bed. The man wouldn't be lying down with him, they wouldn't be sleeping together or sharing the bed in any way. But still Robin wasn't sure this should be acceptable.

He could turn around and go back to his own room, try to sort out his nightmares on his own, but then what would Slade think? Did it matter what the man thought? Why would it matter? Robin never gave a damn before what the man thought of him.

But now it seemed that it did, because Slade had saved Robin's life, had healed him, taken him in while he had no where else to go. He was going to help Robin try and fix this mess that he was in. Slade had decided on his own to be brought into this war. And at that moment a thought occurred to Robin, one that should have occurred a long time ago.

_Why? _

They reached Slade's room and they entered, Robin looked around slowly trying to take it all in. Even when Robin had been Slade's apprentice he had never seen Slade's personal quarters.

It was larger then Robin's bedroom by at least twenty feet and there was something much more homey about it. Though the walls were still black and the floor still a cold metal, there were two lamps that gave off warm light, two bookcases full of books, a dresser, and a door which robin assumed led to a private bath. The floor had a large rug in the center of it that looked warm and soft, the design was intricate and the colors were vibrant which seemed odd for Slade. A desk was pushed up against the far wall with a rather fancy looking chair. Papers, books, and other such things were crammed on the desk opened and spread out haphazardly.

But the bed is what really shocked Robin, a canopy bed with rich emerald green colors and what appeared to be a stained oak bad frame. At least eight pillows were pushed all around and the bed was a mess. But it looked like it could have been the most comfortable bed in the world.

"You seem surprised." Slade said crossing to the desk and looking through some random papers.

"The bed looks…"

"Yes, I am sure you are shocked it isn't orange and black."

Robin looked at Slade with a confused face, "Did you just make a joke?"

"I had hoped so but you didn't seem to find it funny." Slade turned his back and finally sat down in the chair and continued to pour himself into whatever work he was doing.

"Just climb up into it and sleep. I have a lot still to do and I am sure you will wake up at least three more times before morning."

Robin felt his eye twitch at that last comment but didn't respond, he simply crossed to the bed and climbed onto it, "Jesus why is this so high up?"

"I elevated it so I can see the room better. On the off chance there is an intruder who finds my room and enters while I am resting I want to have the advantage of height on my side."

Robin thought that was silly but he didn't say anything about it, he simply started to make himself comfortable. He brought the pillows all around him and then pulled the thick warm comforter up over him. The bed was the softest he had ever felt, the pillows must have had feathers in them. He probably had a pillow top bed too.

Robin felt like a ant on a table, the bed was massive compared to his little twin back at Titans Tower. Now that thought made him miserable, dread swept his body and he tried to think of anything else.

_They are alive, they have to be alive, I won't accept anything else. _

As Robin slowly drifted off into sleep Slade glanced at the boy and then allowed his chair to swing around so that he could watch the pile of covers and pillows gently rise and fall.

This was going to be a very interesting ride. The twists and turns alone would be hard to handle. But now that the Triad was involved Slade wasn't so sure he could handle the situation. He knew he could keep Robin and himself alive, but trying to solve what had happened to his team, Batman, and Batgirl would require a lot more digging then Slade had expected.

The question he had had to ask himself, the question he was STILL asking himself was, Why? Why was he going to all this trouble? Why had he wanted to save Robin when he could have so easily helped the Triad finish the annoying brat off?

Why had Slade been being unusually kind and patient… and nice? It was a surprise to himself and to Robin. Slade could tell he boy was shocked by how Slade was acting. And the mercenary was beginning to feel less and less like himself.

There was someone he could call that may know the answer to his questions. "I hope you are awake William."

PageBreak

William Wintergreen sat in his condo down in Florida and read the paper; he was just waking up and eating his morning breakfast. It was 6:30 in the morning, which meant it was only 3:30 in the morning in California. Wintergreen was having a slight problem adjusting but not to bad since he rarely slept anyway. Slade had often kept strange hours and Wintergreen was on call most of those hours.

Suddenly Wintergreen's computer beeped, he removed his feet from the table and set his paper aside after neatly folding it. He straightened his shirt out and then opened the lid of the computer. It was Slade calling and Wintergreen smirked, what could the man need so soon after Wintergreen's departure?

Wintergreen hit the accept button and Slade's mask less face appeared.

"Hello Slade, what can I do for you?" Wintergreen said trying to sound relaxed and cheerful on his randomly scheduled vacation.

"Don't be so smug. I need your advice Will." The older man sat up and paid closer attention to the screen. If Slade used his first name it usually meant that something important was on the man's mind.

"Alright, what is the problem?"

Slade hesitated a moment and then ran his hand through his hair, "I have been unusually lenient with the boy."

Will stared at the screen and raised his eyebrow, "And?"

"And that is it." Slade said staring at the man like this was a huge problem. Will wasn't sure where to go with this so he decided to ask another question.

"How lenient?"

"He is sleeping in my bed do to bad dreams." Slade said, his eye narrowing dangerously.

Will stared at the screen, he saw the displeasure that Slade was trying to show him, but it almost felt strained. Like Slade was trying to make this bother him, make it more then it was.

Wintergreen rubbed his eyes with his fingers and sighed, "Slade, how many children do you have?"

"Will, this isn't about them. It has nothing to do with them. I know how I feel about them verses how I feel about Robin and I know this isn't the same thing!"

William could tell Slade was frustrated, he got frustrated and angry so easily. It was really quite spectacular how similar Slade and Robin truly were.

"Okay let me put it in a way you won't out right refuse to accept. Do you remember Nam? How you saved me from that wretched prison camp?"

"Of course… it was hell."

"But in your mind was I worth all the trouble it took to get me out of there?"

"Yes… I weighed the pros and cons of going back for you and I saw more benefit in saving your life then letting you die and rot in that camp. Plus… you are my friend."

William smirked, "You did the same thing with Robin. You weighed the pros and cons of risking your neck for the boy and the pros out weighed the cons. You thought he was a life worth saving because he had proven himself to you. Whether it was good or bad in your eyes he deserved to live. If you are worried that you are allowing the boy to move in on your emotions don't worry, you don't have any emotions left to move in on."

Slade stared at Will a moment and then sighed, "You always know the right things to say. I _am_ a heartless ass hole aren't I?"

"You are and I wouldn't have you any other way." William said.

"Thank you old friend, you always know what I want to hear."

"Of course, thus one of my pros that saved my life."

"I saved your life old man, that pro just happened to help me decide."

"I am forever in your debt."

"Have a good day Will." Slade ended the conversation then and turned to look at the bed. The boy was sound asleep but it wouldn't be for long, he could hear Robin's breathing speeding up. He was just about to enter into a nightmare. And once again Slade weighed the benefits of helping the boy cope. He sighed as he stood and approached the bed, "Once this is over I expect a gift basket."

**R&R Let me know what you think! I may have to add more chapters then expected but it shouldn't be to many more. I will have chapter three up and ready in the next few days! Thanks for waiting. **


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Worlds End

"Once this is over I expect a fruit basket." Slade came to stand next to the bed and he stared down at the boy who had just started to shift and turn.

"No… no!" Robin started to mumble.

_Here we go_. Slade thought knowing this was going to take more of his patience then he wanted to give. Slade reached out a hand to try and wake Robin up but the instant his hand touched the boy's shoulder Robin struck out with his fist.

Slade caught it just before it connected with his nose, "Cute." Slade said in an annoyed voice. He crawled up into the bed trying to get a better hold of the boy. Robin's feet kicked out and shoved against the wall nearly knocking Slade from the bed.

Slade grunted as the impact of the boy's small frame connected with his chest. Slade quickly pulled the boy up, he was holding Robin by his wrists as the boy struggled and cried out. Slade was on his knees trying to get the boy under control.

"Wake up you fool!" Slade snapped.

"STOP PLEASE!" Robin screamed.

Slade grunted once more as Robin's head shot back and got him in the face. Slade gritted his teeth as the pain exploded in his nose.

"Fine you want to do this the hard way… we can do this the hard way." Slade instantly fell to the side and pulled Robin with him. He wrapped his legs around Robin's to hold him still and pulled the boy's arms to his chest to restrain the flailing appendages from lashing out. He had the boy in a bear hug and couldn't release him.

The boy started to scream and as he screamed his body tried to thrash. Slade's eye popped open in shock as Robin started to grind himself against the man. Slade wanted to push the boy away but he wasn't sure what would happen if he let Robin go.

"How did Adie do this!" Slade grunted as Robin continued to thrash.

Slade searched the furthest corners of his mind, he tried to remember further back then he had in a long time. Removing mental blocks that he hadn't touched in years. And suddenly Slade remembered a night Grant was having a night terror.

_What did Adie do_! Slade's mind shouted. Something crept into the back of his head and suddenly Slade knew what to do even though he really really REALLY did not want to do it.

"You better make this worth my while kid." Slade cleared his throat and kept a tight hold of the thrashing Robin.

"_River of dreams take me with you tonight. Lying in your arms we'll drift off to Islands of wonder that gleam and glow under the stars as we glide through the dark to the heart of the night_."

Slade was shocked when Robin started to calm down. Slade didn't want to but he kept singing in hopes Robin would continue to peacefully slumber.

"_River of dreams gently hold me again, I remember all you told me. All of the secrets you whispered as we crept away from the daylight and melted back into the night. Was I awake or did I dream. The kiss of waves that silver slipstream. That tumbles as it turns, again towards the sea_."

Robin lay motionless, his breathing slow and even, his entire body relaxed.

"Thank you, Adie." Slade said breathing a sigh of relief. Slade suddenly was over come with exhaustion. Who knew Robin had so much strength coiled up in that tiny body. When was the last time Slade actually slept longer then a few hours? Power naps seemed to usually work but Slade needed at least one full night of sleep every few weeks.

Slade let his head come to rest on the pillow nearest him as he continued to hold Robin to his chest. The boy was freezing. Slade pulled the blanket up over them and closed his eye.

"Let us never speak of this again, a Robin?" Slade sighed and the next thing he knew….

Page Break

Robin woke up and found himself warm and relaxed in a bed that was very comfortable. He had never felt so completely at ease and well rested.

He went to stretch and his hand hit something, so he slowly rolled over.

"JESUS!" Robin said backing up and suddenly falling over the edge of the bed. Just before his head hit the floor Robin felt a large hand wrap around his wrist. Robin was yanked back onto the bed.

Robin sat up and pulled the blanket to him, "What the fuck are you doing in my bed!" Robin yelled at Slade. The man was lying on his side lazily staring at the boy before him.

"It's my bed you brat and you kept having nightmares, I came over to try and see if there was something I could do. You started to thrash around and I thought you might hurt yourself."

"So you got into bed with me!" Robin said with anxiety. Slade pulled Robin close at that moment, and Robin gasped, his stomach exploded with a feeling that was foreign to him. Slade stared down at him as he pulled the boy's body against his.

"A little appreciation would be in order at this point, besides I only meant to restrain you until the nightmare passed. Unfortunately I must have been more tired then I thought. I actually managed to sleep a little, which is odd. But never you mind, it's time for breakfast so get up." Slade moved passed Robin quickly and slid off the bed. Robin stared after the man who was beginning to seem less and less like himself.

Robin wondered what really happened last night, how Slade, the man of a steel mind could have allowed himself to fall asleep and be so easily led away from his normal habits.

Robin remembered his previous times with the man as his apprentice; Slade did not require much sleep. He had gone close to a month with out it. How the man did it Robin wasn't sure.

Robin got out of the bed and then looked down at himself, "Uh Slade… any chance you have some extra clothes?"

Slade glanced at the boy and noticed he was only wearing his green uniform pants. The rest of his uniform had been ripped away when Slade had been cleaning him on the plane and as of yet Slade had not given him anything new.

"I suppose that can be taken care of. Here." Slade crossed to his dresser and pulled out a black suit. He tossed it to Robin and the boy waited for Slade to turn his back before he changed.

When he put it on Robin made a noise of distaste, "Why would you keep this?" Robin peered down at an old apprentice uniform. The orange stood out in the dark room and Slade smirked at the sight of Robin wearing it.

"I always keep one of every suit I design, just incase I ever need it again."

Robin shook his head, "It was a waste to keep this. You knew I wasn't ever going to be coming back to the apprenticeship."

"I did know, but had I thrown it away you would have nothing to wear now. So don't complain." Slade turned and headed for the door, "Come on, first food then some exercise."

Robin followed reluctantly, he would much rather skip all that and look at the video footage of his team and the battle in the tower. But trying to tell Slade that would only waste time. Even with his team on his mind, however, Robin's mind still lingered back to only a few moments ago. Slade had been so warm… Robin remembered the feel of the heat the man emitted and he couldn't help but wonder if the man was that warm all the time. And how could a man, who was usually so cold and calculated, ever be that warm at all.

They reached the kitchen in good time and Robin looked around hungrily, "Please tell me you have something a little richer then that bull shit health food you used to make me eat." Robin said.

"How about, steak and eggs."

Robin's eyes lit up, "Yes!" Robin said running to the fridge and looking around for the food. He grabbed four eggs and a small stick of butter and headed for the stove.

A large skillet was already waiting; Robin turned on the burner and looked around for a knife. He finally found one about three drawers down. He pulled out a butter knife and threw some of the butter into the skillet. It hissed and sputtered as Robin waited for it to get hotter.

Robin didn't realize how hungry he was until he smelled the scent of the melted butter. His mouth started to water, "I must really be half starved if my mouth is watering over butter." Robin said to Slade.

Robin felt the man's large presence come to stand next to him, "Like I said before you shouldn't be able to stand but I suppose that healing serum may have helped to regenerate some of your muscles and other things."

Robin glanced to Slade who had two large steaks on a plate which he held as he stood next to Robin. "About that healing serum." Robin started.

"Another time dear boy. Today we focus on your team and getting you back into shape." Slade was expecting some sort of argument but the boy just nodded and looked down at the boiling butter.

Robin quickly, and with much one handed skill, cracked the eggs and then looked to Slade, "How do you like your eggs?"

"Sunny side up." Slade said watching Robin go through the motions.

"Me too." The boy almost whispered.

"Robin… what did you dream about last night?" Slade asked hoping to find out why he had had to nearly straddle the boy to control him.

Robin sighed, "What I normally dream about now. That damn white room." Robin said.

Slade knew what room Robin was thinking of, the torture room back in china. Stark white, small and confined, only one door and a mirror that showed you how pathetic you looked.

"Some days, the amount of blood I saw on those white walls, I didn't think it could possibly be all mine. That amount of blood loss would kill a person. I had told myself that… thinking maybe I was really dead and that the torture room was just my own personal hell. The things I thought about… the things I thought about doing. I never knew how insane I could feel until that damn room. The pounding of my own heart almost made me go crazy, the silence was deafening. And the smell after they were done and they came and sanitized the room… they electrocuted me once and left me sitting in my own piss for a week…" Robin trailed off and started to mutter something inaudible.

Slade gently took Robin by the shoulder and the boy's big blue orbs looked up at him. "Don't think about it now… I plan to teach you a special technique to help keep those emotions and images away. It will help you regain a lot of your sanity. But until I can teach you how to deal with these traumatic experiences you need to try and ignore what you can. No go sit down and rest, I will cook the rest of breakfast."

Robin nodded and as he turned to walk to the table Slade patted his butt to make sure he kept moving. It didn't take to long for Slade to finish the steaks and soon had them seasoned and on the plates with the eggs. He walked them over to the table and set a plate before Robin who was staring off.

"Eat." Slade said, as Robin was pulled from his thoughts. Robin looked down at the meat and didn't hesitate. He grabbed his fork and knife and started to eat… viscously.

At this point Slade made his first mistake, "Slow down or your will make yourself sick." The man had reached his hand out towards the food and Robin saw it out of the corner of his eye and of course Robin's first instinct was to protect his food. After going so long with out Robin allowed his more animalistic instincts take control of him.

Robin growled and, with his streak knife grasped tightly in his fist, slammed it point down through Slade's hand, which then was impaled onto the table.

Robin instantly released his hold and covered his mouth, he stared at the knife which was sticking out of Slade's had. His eyes glanced up at Slade's face and the man stared at the knife with a mildly surprised look on his face…. there was suddenly a knife in his hand.

"Slade…. Slade…. I am so sorry… I don't know why I did that." Robin said standing up, his chair toppled over he was getting ready to run incase the large man next to him planned to retaliate.

Slade simply sighed and reached up, he took hold of the knife and with a mighty yank pulled the knife free. He then raised his hand from the small puddle of blood that had been forming and looked at the slice that went all the way through.

"Interesting. Robin, please have a seat." Slade said standing to retrieve a new steak knife for the boy who was know shakily picking up his chair.

When both where at the table again Slade held up his hand and showed Robin that the mark was gone.

Robin's eyes grew wide but he didn't say anything and Slade was grateful for that. "Now, what were you thinking when you stabbed me?"

Robin eyed the man carefully not sure what Slade was expecting him to say, "I uh… I wasn't really thinking. All I know is that for a split second my mind seemed to come to the conclusion that you were going to take my food away. I just reacted; I didn't want you to take it away so I reacted. A little bit more then I had planned to."

"That is a very natural reaction for you to have. After having been denied food for so long. And I am sure the food they did give you they either never let you finish or never let you actually eat."

"They would set it down in front of me, I tried not to give them what they wanted but it was so hard after the first few weeks to not stare at it and debate about begging. I tried not to beg, but sometimes I was so close to giving in."

"Did you ever beg for food?" Slade asked.

Robin smirked, "Only once and that was because I was trying to manipulate my torturer. He had been teasing me with the food for days; I finally acted like I gave in. I told him if he just let me have a little I would tell him whatever he wanted. This guy wasn't the brightest and instead of feeding me himself he untied me and that is when I kicked him in the nose and ran from the room. My third escape attempt."

"Did you enjoy hurting him?" Slade asked.

Robin fell silent, "If I say yes am I a monster?"

Slade smirked, "If you say yes you are human."

Robin gave the smallest hint of a smirk before he looked down ashamed, "Yes… I loved the feeling of his nose crunching under my bare foot. I felt like all the cruel things he had done to me had been repaid in that one kick. It felt fabulous."

"At least now you are aware of the relations between pain and pleasure. To a degree I should say."

Robin and Slade finished their food in silence and when they were done Robin stood on his own accord picked up the plates and took them to the sink. Slade watched making notes on how much more obedient Robin was. He was at the point where manipulation was going to be the easy part. It was getting Robin to connect with him on a deeper level that may prove much harder. But if anyone could get those walls around his deeper emotions to crumble it would be Slade. He just had to wait, be patient, and when the moment was right he would strike.

Page Break

"Can I please stop now?" Robin asked as he looked at Slade. He was currently doing a handstand and had been doing this particular "exercise" for several minutes.

"Is the blood rushing to your head to quickly?" Slade asked.

"No, it's just kind of boring standing here like this while you stare at me." Robin said starting to walk around on his hands like he was born to do it.

Slade watched him move and couldn't help but smirk behind his mask. "Very well, there are only a few more exercises I want to see you perform for me. I want you to give me a cartwheel into a front flip and end with a spin kick. Land on your toes and crotch as if avoiding a projectile. I need to see how well your brain is sending signals to your nervous system. The faster you can perform these three moves the better."

Robin nodded once but couldn't help feeling like all of this was a waste of time. He could be looking for Batgirl or for his team. He needed to find Bruce. So much needed to be done and here he was performing random acrobatics for a man whom seemed to have little interest in helping him locate his family and friends.

He performed the three moves quickly and with out flaw and when he stood and turned to look at Slade he realized the man was gone.

Robin spun around in time to dodge the fist that was coming at him. "Slade, what the…" Robin couldn't finish.

Slade kicked his leg out and Robin dodged by only a quarter inch. "Slade stop!" Robin cried out as the man's onslaught of attacks rained down on him like mad. The smaller of the two managed to either block or dodge but he never tried to strike back.

"Attack me Robin! Defend yourself!" Slade ordered.

"I can't!" Robin protested as he blocked his face from being mutilated by a metal clad boot.

"I doubt that. You have never had problems trying to strike me before. Do as I say and defend yourself!"

Robin knew he wanted to defend himself, he wanted to throw a fist, but at the same time he knew that he didn't want to hurt Slade. Not that he could in all reality. But part of Robin's brain screamed that if he attacked he could possibly kill the man.

"I CAN'T!" Robin said dropping to his knees and lowering his arms. Slade had been about to perform a roundhouse kick to Robin's neck. The man managed to move his leg just enough to just swipe the boy's hair.

Slade stood before the boy, his fists clenched, his stance threatening, "Robin! You know better then to lower your defenses in the middle of a fight. Had I been about to kick you at full force I wouldn't have been able to avoid you! I could have snapped your neck!"

Robin remained silent as he kneeled on the floor before Slade whose disapproving eye burned into the top of his head. "I can't fight back. I tried, I did, but my body wouldn't listen to me." Robin said.

The large man stayed put, towering over the now defenseless boy. "It would seem they did far more to you then just torture you in that little white room of yours. They broke you. You can't attack me because you don't want to attack me. You've lost your desire to protect yourself, which means on some level you've lost your desire to live."

Robin looked up at Slade and sighed, "It's not that, granted I wish I could take back what I did. But the truth is… I am afraid of attacking you."

Slade tilted his head and crossed his arms over his chest, his posture said enough, _explain. _

"I don't want to attack you because I don't want to hurt you."

Slade gave a grunted that almost sounded like a doubtful chuckle but Robin didn't let him speak, "I know how crazy that sounds, you being you and me being me after all. But when you came at me like that I felt like I was back in that hallway and it was all I could do to keep from trying to rip your head off. I wanted to strike to kill. Batman trained me to disarm; to never strike harder then needed; to leave the person immobile but alive. This new idea in my head, the idea of kill or be killed… it's unsettling… I don't like the feeling I get when my mind tells me to strike areas that are meant to kill."

"I see, you don't want more blood on your hands." The tone Slade gave was that of repulsion.

Robin looked up at him and sneered, "It isn't a bad thing that I don't want to kill. It's not a crime to value all life! I would rather save people then hurt them. That will always be the difference between you and me."

Slade simply gave a soft, "Is that so?"

Robin said nothing, "Come with me Robin. I have to show you something."

The boy stared after the man who turned from the sparing mat and started to leave the room.

"What now?" Robin said under his breath with a sigh.

Page Break

Slade was standing at his super computer pulling up article after article, paper after paper and then finally he pulled up a video screen. "I need you to understand that no matter what you may see in this video keep an open mind." Slade said.

Robin nodded and waited for Slade to play the feed, "While you were sleeping the first few hours I brought you here I did some research. I realized I still had some hidden cameras inside your tower. The Triad didn't look for foreign technology. They simply tried to find the archaic technology that your Cyborg friend likes to use. So I managed to get one of my cameras from the day of the attack on the Tower up and running. I've found some rather interesting developments."

Slade pressed play and they watched together. The battle was epic and Robin had never been more proud of his team. They fought until they couldn't anymore and yet they kept trying. Somehow the Triad had known their weaknesses, and it had taken only about an hour to take out his team. The damage to the Tower was minimal at best. It was odd since one of the articles next to the video screen had a picture of the Tower and the building looked like it had just come out of a massive bombing.

Robin watched as his friends were dragged from the room unconscious. A man came into the room and looked around, he then pointed at three men, "You three, rig the bombs, this place needs to look like the battle was that of Gods! You two follow 34 and 89 down to the basement. Got those rebellious teens locked up and inert! This entire plan must go off with out a hitch! No one must know that the Titans survived this attack. Until we see if they know anything about the scrolls we can't afford to have someone try to rescue them."

The video feed was cut then and switched to the basement where Robin saw four holding takes. They appeared to be the same type of tanks that held Plasmas. However, Robin could see the amount of individual precautions and restraints taken to ensure that none of the four remaining Titans would wake up. They were helpless and unable to escape.

"How long ago was this video?" Robin asked.

"It's been awhile, maybe four months. Not sure, the feed information was garbled in the retrieval. But the point of showing you this is that you said the difference between you and I is that you value life and I do not. The truth is I do value life, but when someone stands in the way of my goal their life loses that value. I tell you this because you may need to start exploring these same ideas. If you want to try and free your friends from the same torture that was given to you then you need to go into battle knowing that you will be spilling blood. Because if you run in thinking you can simply knock these people out and move on you are dead wrong. The more you kill the less will stand in the way."

Robin stared at him in shock, "How can you say that?"

Slade smirked behind his mask and replied with, "Because dear boy, in all honestly I don't even think you are scared of taking a life, you don't like knowing that sometimes, when lives are on the line… especially the life of people that do matter more then those who are in your way, you don't care if you kill them. All you care about is your friends, and if people die on the way to you getting to them, then you know it's just to damn bad."

Robin didn't know what to say, he didn't know how he felt. Did he really believe everything Slade had just said? Was he simply denying the realization he came to so long ago? Had he always know that his would kill to protect his family and friends? That he didn't care who stood in his way, he would take out anyone who stood between him and the people he loved?

"Take a night to digest, I will send all of this to my laptop and I will let you go through it all. Getting those detective skills of yours back on track and finely tuned is important."

Robin nodded and turned to walk out, he needed to be alone for a little bit to try and make sense of all his feelings. "I expect you in that bed in three hours." Slade said not even bothering to lock the compound down. Robin wouldn't leave, not now, not after everything Slade had just said.

"Okay, thanks." Robin said not even realizing he thanked the man. Slade stared after him and smirked, the first time Robin ever gave him a sincere thank you. Things were definitely taking a turn for the better.

**Sorry about the delay! You wouldn't believe what my life has been like! R&R I will try to post again soon if school doesn't get in the way! Thank you! **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I am so sorry this has taken so long, In the past couple of months I have graduated college gotten a job at starbucks started designing sets for theaters and just now got back from Ireland. **

**I was told by the reader ilikestoriesaboutsladeandrobin **** that the Triad was used in Wynja's story the Peace Contract. I have read this story before and figured I must have heard of this group from her. I plan to message her soon and make sure she is all right with me using that name. I had no intention of being a thief. So to you Wynja I apologize for stealing with out realizing it. **

**Enjoy chapter 4! **

**Chapter 4**

Barbara looked over the blue prints she had managed to steal and tried to figure out exactly where Batman would be. She knew which compound he was in; she knew how many guards would be standing watch. What she didn't know was how hard it would be to get in or how hard it would be to get Batman out.

The red head sipped at her cup of coffee with frustration, the fatigue she was fighting off laid heavy under her eyes. How many months had she been at this? How long had she been on the run, avoiding anyone who acted even slightly suspicious?

She hadn't heard from Robin and she was worried that he had gotten caught. It had taken her forever to find out where they where holding Batman. Who knew where they might be holding Robin if they caught him or if he was still alive.

Barbara sighed and rubbed her eyes in frustration, she would probably have to go in blind, only knowing the lay out and not where the guards would be waiting. It was dangerous but she couldn't wait any longer. Batman could be dead, this could all be a waste of time, but she had to try. Batman meant too much to her and to Gotham so let him rot in some forgotten cell. Barbara had taken the time to prepare herself, if she found Batman dead she would get his body out no matter what. He would be buried with his parents. One of the few things Bruce had requested on his will.

A noise sounded outside the door of her hotel room and She didn't even wait. In a flash she grabbed all of her stuff and threw it into a bag. As she slammed the lid closed and pulled the suitcase off the bed the door burst open sending splinters of wood flying.

"Shit!" Barbara hissed as she pulled on her cowl and jumped out the window. Her free fall lasted less then a quarter of a second as someone grabbed the suitcase at the last second and yanked her back in the room. The window was closed with a thud and a light flickered out onto the cold bricks of the next building as a muffled scream filled the air.

PageBreak

"BARBARA!" Robin screamed as he sat up and looked around the room. His eyes made contact with Slade's cold gray one. The man was sitting in his chair in a rather relaxed pose gracefully moving a pen back and fourth between his fingers.

"Don't you mean Starfire?" Slade said with a smooth tone.

"Shut up Slade." Robin mumbled as he flopped back down and tried to even out his breathing.

"You are washing my bed sheets, now that they are marred with your sweat."

Robin glanced over at him and shook his head slowly, "What ever."

Silence settled in between the two and Robin suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable. Slade sat, staring at the boy and continuing his fluid toying with the pen.

"Stop looking at me." Robin said slowly between gritted teeth.

"It's rather interesting to see you like this you know. Not that I would ever delight in your torment but I have never gotten to see the effects of torture first hand."

Robin swallowed and tried to focus on the odd color of the ceiling.

"Wouldn't figure you had, you don't seem the type to care about helping anyone but yourself."

"Stinging words Robin, all things considered I think I have helped you a great deal. I only meant that every time I have been around a person who was as brutalized as you had been they were dead by the time I saw the body."

"SHUT UP!" Robin yelled as he sat up, his eyes burned into the man and he couldn't pull back. He wanted to hurt Slade so bad it almost made him feel better to imagine the man's head catching fire.

Slade hummed gently and turned around and started to write again. Robin grumbled and slowly laid back down and returned to his study of the ceiling.

The scratching of the pen was a constant annoyance and Robin couldn't help but ask,

"Since when have you ever written anything by hand? When I was your apprentice you always had one of those electric pads to log all of your data away."

"Electric pads are fine for lists and organizing certain aspects of my life, but for my personal journal I prefer to write it all down by hand. It does much more for my conscious mind then typing on a pad could ever do."

Robin rubbed his eyes from exhaustion, "You keep a journal?"

"Yes." Slade gave as a reply.

Robin let out a deep breath and finally pulled him self from the bed, "I'm going to go get some food. Do you want anything?"

Slade didn't bother to stop writing and gave an answer similar to his previous one, "No."

Robin shook his head and left the room with a grunt. He strolled down the hall enjoying the difference in air. It had been stuffy in the bedroom, out here the air was crisp and cool and he felt more awake now.

He studied the halls, still hoping he would get this maze of dark corridors into his memory sooner rather then later.

When he finally reached the kitchen Robin quickly searched the pantry, cupboards, refrigerator and the random freezer in the far corner but nothing looked well. He had wondered back to the cupboards and his eyes settled on a bag of flour.

Cake, cake sounded really good. Robin quickly scrambled to collect all the ingredients necessary and started to mix the dry things together and then he mixed the wet things together. He was in the process of looking for a hand mixer when he heard the kitchen door swing open. He jumped up but relaxed immediately when he saw it was Slade.

"What on Earth are you doing?" Slade asked as he took a seat at the table.

"Makin' cake." Robin said in a slightly annoyed tone.

"Cake? Why cake?" Slade said as he started to tap his fingers on the table.

Robin turned to look at him and eyed the man's fingers as they went back and fourth on the wood.

"I wanted cake…" Robin said as his senses slowly began to grow more agitated as Slade's tapping continued.

"We could have ordered cake so you wouldn't have to make it." Slade said as he increased the volume of his tapping.

Robin turned away from the man and gripped the edges of the shiny silver bowl that all his ingredients were sitting in. The tapping was growing in annoyance and Robin's hunger seemed to be making him for irritable then normal.

"Slade could you…" But he stopped as he heard the volume of the tapping increase again.

"Slade could you stop that!" Robin said turning and frisbeeing the silver bowl of cake mix at Slade who managed to dodge it with out really having to get up.

Robin stared at the man who had stopped tapping his fingers and was now staring at Robin who suddenly managed to pull his temper back.

"Sorry. That tapping was really bothering me. Here, I will get that cleaned up." Robin said turning to grab some paper towels and a wet washcloth.

"Do not worry about it, your irritability is normal. Eventually you will have full control over it and it won't control you." Slade said standing and crossing to pick up the silver bowl on the ground.

"This was Will's favorite bowl." Slade said moving to put it in the sink.

"I will replace it." Robin said with a short tone.

"Don't worry about that either. You aren't exactly financially set right now. You can't go to the tower and Gotham is off limits for now."

"I have my own money." Robin said as he finished cleaning up the floor and wall.

"Which I am sure you cannot access right now because the Triad most likely has eyes on your banks."

Robin tossed the rag into the sink and bit out quick, "FINE! YOU REPLACE THE BOWL!"

He turned and started to walk out of the kitchen when he topped at Slade's next words, "Do you think he would want a colored on? Maybe red or green?" Slade asked as he began to tap his fingers on the counter top.

"What do you think of a blue bowl for Will Robin?"

Robin spun around and screamed, "I don't care! What ever color he fucking likes!"

"Maybe yellow then." Slade said completely unphase.

Robin growled and pushed through the door into the hall, as he walked towards his own bedroom he heard Slade come out after him, "In a bad mood are we?"

"Just give me some space!" Robin yelled and almost instantly Robin felt a hand on his shoulder and he reacted quicker then he thought he ever had. He had Slade by the wrist and started to slowly twist as he gritted his teeth.

"LEAVE. ME. ALONE!" Robin growled through clenched teeth.

"But you never answered my question. What color?" Slade asked with an even voice, he apparently couldn't feel Robin slowly breaking his wrist. A small pop was heard and then a small crack but Robin kept twisting as he stared at Slade with so much hatred and anger he though it had swallowed his soul.

"I don't CARE what color!" Robin said.

"Choose a color Robin." Slade said and Robin narrowed his eyes.

"I don't care about the color, I don't care about anything… I just don't fucking care you stupid…"

"Is that why you killed six men?" Slade asked as if they were high school buddies talking about why Robin didn't go out with some random chick.

Robin lurched himself forward and he felt Slade's wrist break completely. He launched forward and heard the clatter of the bowl as it was dropped to the ground. Robin felt anger and hate surge through him carried on the slipstream of adrenaline.

"I. DON'T. CARE!" Robin shrieked as he pummeled his fists over and over into Slade.

The man had his arms crossed despite his broken wrist and was blocking his face and torso as Robin punched until his own fingers started to snap.

"I HATE EVERYTHING!" Robin screamed as he brought his fist together over his head and was preparing to smash the bottom of his fists into Slade's skull when the man kicked his led up and Robin went flying over him and crashed into the wall behind them.

Slade stood and snapped his wrist back into place and waited for the sensation of his healing powers to take over. He cracked his neck as he waited for Robin to get up. The boy did rather quicker then Slade expected and almost instantly the boy was on him trying to rip him apart.

"Robin this is your moment. Try to regain control, reel in your anger and hatred and try to contain it." Slade said as he pulled Robin to his chest and crushed him there to keep the boy from continuing to hurt himself as he tried to hurt Slade.

This position between them continued until Robin finally stopped trying to kill him. The boy hung there loosely until Slade finally set him down.

"Now what color bowl should I get Will?" Slade asked again this time with a little less indifference. It sounded almost like a test question and Robin suddenly understood.

"Get him a red one." Robin said between gasps as he held up his mangled hands and groaned.

"Well, that didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped but you did manage to contain your anger and hatred eventually and you answered the question eventually."

"You were trying to see how well I could keep my temper during a normal conversation if I was already irritated weren't you?"

"Yes and I apologize but it is all part of your rehabilitation. If you can't keep your temper under control during a simple conversation you won't be able to do it once this is all over."

"This won't ever be over. My life will never be the same and I need to start accepting that." Robin said wondering if his hands would mend normally.

"Come here." Slade said and Robin moved forward and placed his hands into Slade's who started to examine them carefully.

"They will be fine but your second knuckle on this finger is dislocated I am going to se it." Slade said.

Robin nodded and waited for the pain, when Slade jammed it back into the right location Robin didn't even react.

"Funny how that doesn't hurt anymore. It used kill me when I had to set a joint."

"After six months of constant elevated pain your receptors won't register minor pain as easy as it used to. Which means your body can become your enemy. Yu could dislocate an ankle or receive a cut and never noticed until you have an infection of gangrene and have to have your leg removed. You will have to get used to your new sensitivity. After a battle always check yourself over and make sure your body is fine because you might have a wound you didn't feel occur."

Robin nodded and looked at his bloody hands, "You have some bandages?"

Slade nodded and motioned for Robin to follow him. It only took a few minutes for them to wrap his hands and then they instantly went down to the sparing room.

"I think sparing a bit will help you relax, nothing special and you don't have to push yourself. This needs to be real easy, almost like a dance, no connection." Slade said,

"I don't understand." Robin said.

"Imagine you are going through your normal set drill. You are going through each move step by step and one at a time. Do your counting like you did when you first started learning jujitsu. Do as I do."

Slade brought it arms into his side and clenched his fist and said, "Position one." Robin copied him.

"Position two." Slade spread his legs to be even with his shoulders and bent his knees slightly. Robin copied.

"Now, move through your set and count and when you reach the end I will start to do a certain number and you would respond with the proper counter number but there will be no contact. This exercise helps to improve muscle memory.

Once Robin ran through his sets one through twenty he waited for Slade to make a move. The man spread his legs and put out his arm, his fingers extended.

Robin's instant thought was to spread his legs and bring his arm up in a block position.

As the minutes wore on Robin got faster and he began to understand what Slade wanted him to do. Soon enough they were both moving in a steady rhythm, Slade presenting an attack position and Robin countering it. It really did feel like a dance.

There were no actually flips performed and if Robin chose to do a spin kick it was slow and steady and Slade stepped over it one foot at a time.

Soon enough the rhythm was so steady and flowed so well that Robin was able to close his eyes and counter simply by hearing the numbers Slade was quietly saying in response to Robin's own numbers. It became like a movement-based meditation, almost like tie-chi.

Eventually they slowed and when they came to a stop Robin opened his eyes to see that he was very close to Slade. He didn't jump back for a change though; he simply looked up at the man who looked down at him with a blank expression.

"Dinner?" Robin asked pleasantly.

"Yes. And after we will be going out so I need you to prepare something light."

"Out?" Robin asked.

"Just a simple training exercise. But we absolutely need to be on our toes incase someone shows up who shouldn't" Robin nodded.

Dinner was a silent affair and neither spoke for fear that something might be brought up that shouldn't. The question was whether or not Robin was ready to go out again, if he had the strength, if he could keep his head cool. Robin thought he could earlier, but after the incident with the color of the mixing bowl he wasn't sure he could keep his cool as well as he thought.

They finished eating quicker then Robin expected and before he knew it he was staring at himself in the mirror and swallowing hard as he realized he was the spitting image of himself only a few years ago when he was Slade's apprentice.

Everything still fit, he hadn't grown much honestly, the only thing different was that your could really see his ribs and his muscles weren't as thick as they used to be due to 6 months of malnourishment.

"Are you ready?" Came the familiar voice from the doorway, Robin turned to see Slade leaning against the door's frame eyeing him up and down.

Robin blushed and adjusted his belt to sit straight on his hips. "I need to gain some more weight fast, do you think it would be inappropriate to start taking protein supplements or some sort of protein shake? I really need to get my weight back up, this stuff hangs off me like I am a skeleton."

"I think that would be a wonderful idea and I just so happen to have three years worth of protein powder and supplements stored in my lab." Slade said with a hint of excitement in his voice, it was a very small hint though and Robin almost didn't catch it.

"Do you still have all that work out equipment, we could start a regiment. And I bet by the end of six months I could lift as much as you."

Slade cocked his head to the side, "You really think so? Well we will just have to see… I am surprised thought."

"Why is that?" Robin asked.

"You assume you will still be her in six months. While I don't mind the company in six months your Titans could be back together and Batman could be cruisading around Gotham."

"They could also all be dead." Robin said with a stony voice as he turned to look at himself in the mirror, he adjusted his belt again and stared at his dead eyes in the mirror,

"I learned one thing while in that bloody torture room, Brickyard rarely lied." Robin said as he took a step closer to the mirror and hooked his thumb in his belt. He retreated a step not sure if he liked this uniform up close or far away.

Slade came up to stand behind him and put a hand on his shoulder, "If your friends are alive I will help you get them back because what the Triad is attempting to do could not only cause trouble for the world but also for me. If they are not alive I will help you get revenge. And when the revenge is done, you may stay with me if you like, or you may go on your own. There is no more fighting between us, we are together or we are not but I will never force my ways on you again. You have earned your freedom in my eyes."

So after this is all over, if my friends and my family are gone… I could stay with you?" Robin asked looking at Slade's single eye through the reflection. Slade leaned forward and with his free hand very gently cupped Robin's chin, "You may do anything you like, I am at your disposal, on one condition…" Slade trailed off.

"What?" Robin asked leaning into the man's warm body only just slightly.

"You have to bring those pretty blue eyes of yours back to life. Dead eyes may hide all your secrets, but your eyes could read someone's soul. And if you don't mind me saying, dead eyes just don't suit you."

Slade gave a small rather dark smirk and pulled away placing his mask on his face and turning to walk out of the room, "Come Robin, we've got monsters to find."

**A/N: Please review and let me know what you think. It's been so long since I've been able to work on any of my stories aside from Harry Potter that I just can't seem to catch up on the ones I am behind on. Once this is posted I plan to start the next chapter, so let me know if you like how this is going! **


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